Matthew 10:16-22
My Lord,
You invite me to follow You. You declare that You are the Good Shepherd, and I can follow You in a life of joy, service, and purpose. Then You tell me that if I am to follow You, You must send me to serve and even suffer.
I have always been amazed at the attraction which some find in hardship. When the United States was attacked on 9-11, volunteers sacrificed selflessly to serve the hurting, the grieving, and the distraught. When national leaders extended the call to military service and sacrifice, no conscription was needed to press soldiers to serve. Volunteers patriotically stepped forward from every conceivable background.
Giuseppe Garibaldi, the nineteenth century Italian nationalist and military leader, called his countrymen to battle for Italy: "Soldiers, all our efforts against superior forces have been unavailing. I have nothing to offer you but hunger and thirst, hardship and death; but I call on all who love their country to join with me." National patriots flocked to Garibaldi's leadership.
John Wesley said: "Give me one hundred men who love nothing but God and fear nothing but sin and I will move the world!"
My Lord and my God, I purpose to follow You with that type of intention and focus. You offered Your followers the prospect of persecution by the state, the church, and even their own families. The stakes have not changed in two thousand years. Grant me the courage to follow You today, regardless the consequence.
In the Name of my ever-leading Lord whom I follow,
Amen.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Seize the Opportunity
My God and my Friend,
I choose to seize the opportunities You place in my path. I can see some opportunities coming on the horizon of my life. Others appear serendipitously before me. Discerning between distractions and Divine opportunities is often disconcerting. I want the wisdom of Your Holy Spirit to know the difference.
"It is one of the great basic facts of life that time and time again an opportunity comes to a man--and it does not come back... The tragedy of life is so often the tragedy of the lost opportunity." (William Barclay in The Gospel According to Matthew, vol. 1, p. 381).
Yesterday, the burdens seemed too heavy. The challenges appeared too great. The obstacles loomed insurmountable. But You gave strength to carry the load. I felt You come along side me and perform the heavy lifting. You solved problems that I could not. You leveled rough, steep paths where my footing slipped. When the day was through, I realized Your tender care for me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for hearing my cry. Thank You for attending to my concerns so gently, so patiently, so faithfully, so successfully. I love You.
Carpe diem--seize the day! Today is before me. I wait in Your Presence now, asking You to fill me, to prepare me for the unknown and untried that awaits. You know the way that I take. I do not. You have traced the path before me. I have not. You have considered and filtered events along my path, lovingly sifting the challenges of my life between Your fingers. Father-filtered. You have lovingly rejected those hurdles for which I lack the strength to leap. You have allowed obstacles to remain for which I doubt I have strength to surmount--but You know better.
I will seize the opportunities You present me today. By Your grace, I will obey. I know that I cannot succeed at the great task to which You have called me by my own strength. I need You. Befriend me again today. Stand beside me. Fill me with Yourself. I pledge myself to seek every opportunity to honor and glorify You, especially in the hard things, the heavy things, and the insurmountable things which You call me to seize today.
Thank You, Father.
Amen.
I choose to seize the opportunities You place in my path. I can see some opportunities coming on the horizon of my life. Others appear serendipitously before me. Discerning between distractions and Divine opportunities is often disconcerting. I want the wisdom of Your Holy Spirit to know the difference.
"It is one of the great basic facts of life that time and time again an opportunity comes to a man--and it does not come back... The tragedy of life is so often the tragedy of the lost opportunity." (William Barclay in The Gospel According to Matthew, vol. 1, p. 381).
Yesterday, the burdens seemed too heavy. The challenges appeared too great. The obstacles loomed insurmountable. But You gave strength to carry the load. I felt You come along side me and perform the heavy lifting. You solved problems that I could not. You leveled rough, steep paths where my footing slipped. When the day was through, I realized Your tender care for me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for hearing my cry. Thank You for attending to my concerns so gently, so patiently, so faithfully, so successfully. I love You.
Carpe diem--seize the day! Today is before me. I wait in Your Presence now, asking You to fill me, to prepare me for the unknown and untried that awaits. You know the way that I take. I do not. You have traced the path before me. I have not. You have considered and filtered events along my path, lovingly sifting the challenges of my life between Your fingers. Father-filtered. You have lovingly rejected those hurdles for which I lack the strength to leap. You have allowed obstacles to remain for which I doubt I have strength to surmount--but You know better.
I will seize the opportunities You present me today. By Your grace, I will obey. I know that I cannot succeed at the great task to which You have called me by my own strength. I need You. Befriend me again today. Stand beside me. Fill me with Yourself. I pledge myself to seek every opportunity to honor and glorify You, especially in the hard things, the heavy things, and the insurmountable things which You call me to seize today.
Thank You, Father.
Amen.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Are you a missionary?
William Barclay (The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 1, p. 368):
"Jesus still wants men to hear of the good news of the gospel, but men will never hear unless other men will tell them. Jesus Christ wants a child taught; that child will never be taught unless a teacher emerges to teach him. Jesus Christ wants all me to hear the good news; men will never hear it unless there are those who are prepared to cross the seas and the mountains and bring the good news to them...
"It is the dream of Christ that every man should be a missionary and a reaper. There are those who cannot do other than pray, for life has laid them helpless, and their prayers are indeed the strength of the laborers. But that is not the way for most of us, for those of us who have strength of body and health of mind. Not even the giving of our money is enough. If the harvest of men is ever to be reaped, then every one of us must be a reaper, for there is someone whom each one of us could--and must--bring to God."
"Jesus still wants men to hear of the good news of the gospel, but men will never hear unless other men will tell them. Jesus Christ wants a child taught; that child will never be taught unless a teacher emerges to teach him. Jesus Christ wants all me to hear the good news; men will never hear it unless there are those who are prepared to cross the seas and the mountains and bring the good news to them...
"It is the dream of Christ that every man should be a missionary and a reaper. There are those who cannot do other than pray, for life has laid them helpless, and their prayers are indeed the strength of the laborers. But that is not the way for most of us, for those of us who have strength of body and health of mind. Not even the giving of our money is enough. If the harvest of men is ever to be reaped, then every one of us must be a reaper, for there is someone whom each one of us could--and must--bring to God."
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Come to Jesus
"It does not matter how we come to Christ, if we only come. No matter how inadequately and imperfectly we come, His love and His arms are open to receive us. There is a double lesson here. It means that we do not wait to ask the help of Christ for life until our motives, our faith, our theology is perfect; we can come to Him exactly as we are. And it means that we have no right to criticize others whose motives we suspect, whose faith we question, and whose theology we believe to be mistaken. It is not how we come to Christ that matters; it is that we should come at all, for He is willing to accept us as we are, and He is able to make us what we ought to be" (Barclay on Matthew, vol. 1, pp. 349-350).
Saturday, April 11, 2015
False Prophets
Matthew 7:15-20
God of Truth,
False prophets abound. They proclaim their way to be true.
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah faced the problem of false prophets in their day. Elijah must have popularized animal fur coats as the garb of a prophet, so that Your spokesman was easily recognized by his sheepskin coat. You describe false prophets as ravenous wolves who deceptively clothe themselves in the garments representing holy oracles of truth. The animal skin was as easily recognized as a symbol of Your prophet in the Old Testament period as a clerical collar around the neck of a priest today. Early in the first century, John the Baptist was easily identified as Your prophet by the distinctive camel skin that he wore, and when he opened his mouth, the convicting truth of his prophecies confirmed his identity and authority.
Your infant Church faced problems with false prophets and even wrote guidelines on how to deal with them. True prophets were honored. False prophets were identified, avoided, and cast out.
False prophets continue to mislead Your sheep. Little lambs in the faith are preyed upon by the ravenous exploiters seeking to consume their innocence, control them, and take advantage of their resources. False prophets proclaim gospels of egoism, idolatry, and carnality. They seek to reduce You from being Sovereign Lord to an idol whom they can manipulate to perform their own will.
"Teaching is false if it produces a religion which consists solely or mainly in the observance of externals... in prohibitions... produces an easy religion... divorces religion and life... produces a religion which is arrogant and separatist" (Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 1, p. 290-292).
“Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” What an apt description for a false prophet! Your passion to live and proclaim truth consumes me. I want to lead people to the light of Your Word. I want to share a liberating message of faith and victory through Your Gospel. All too often, people have been exposed to so many religious charlatans and shysters that they find my motives suspect. They don’t know if I am trustworthy or not. Help me not to get defensive. Empower me to love people patiently, modeling a righteous and winsome trustworthiness. May the Mind of Christ in me grant me the authority and opportunity to earn the right to be heard.
Preserve me from any work for You that is motivated by my desire for personal gain, prestige, power, or self-promotion. Preserve me from being seduced by the pretense or cleverness of my own ideas. Protect me from novel packaging of truth, when I really need a clearer obedience to its demands!
In the Name of the Author and Preserver of Truth,
Amen.
God of Truth,
False prophets abound. They proclaim their way to be true.
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah faced the problem of false prophets in their day. Elijah must have popularized animal fur coats as the garb of a prophet, so that Your spokesman was easily recognized by his sheepskin coat. You describe false prophets as ravenous wolves who deceptively clothe themselves in the garments representing holy oracles of truth. The animal skin was as easily recognized as a symbol of Your prophet in the Old Testament period as a clerical collar around the neck of a priest today. Early in the first century, John the Baptist was easily identified as Your prophet by the distinctive camel skin that he wore, and when he opened his mouth, the convicting truth of his prophecies confirmed his identity and authority.
Your infant Church faced problems with false prophets and even wrote guidelines on how to deal with them. True prophets were honored. False prophets were identified, avoided, and cast out.
False prophets continue to mislead Your sheep. Little lambs in the faith are preyed upon by the ravenous exploiters seeking to consume their innocence, control them, and take advantage of their resources. False prophets proclaim gospels of egoism, idolatry, and carnality. They seek to reduce You from being Sovereign Lord to an idol whom they can manipulate to perform their own will.
"Teaching is false if it produces a religion which consists solely or mainly in the observance of externals... in prohibitions... produces an easy religion... divorces religion and life... produces a religion which is arrogant and separatist" (Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 1, p. 290-292).
“Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” What an apt description for a false prophet! Your passion to live and proclaim truth consumes me. I want to lead people to the light of Your Word. I want to share a liberating message of faith and victory through Your Gospel. All too often, people have been exposed to so many religious charlatans and shysters that they find my motives suspect. They don’t know if I am trustworthy or not. Help me not to get defensive. Empower me to love people patiently, modeling a righteous and winsome trustworthiness. May the Mind of Christ in me grant me the authority and opportunity to earn the right to be heard.
Preserve me from any work for You that is motivated by my desire for personal gain, prestige, power, or self-promotion. Preserve me from being seduced by the pretense or cleverness of my own ideas. Protect me from novel packaging of truth, when I really need a clearer obedience to its demands!
In the Name of the Author and Preserver of Truth,
Amen.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Resurrection!
Mark 16: 1-20
And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, & Salome brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb & they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, & they were alarmed.
"Don’t be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples & Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’" Trembling & bewildered, the women went out & fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. She went & told those who had been with Him & who were mourning & weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive & that she had seen Him, they did not believe it.
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned & reported it to the rest’ but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for the lack of faith & their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
He said to them, "Go into all the world & preach the Good News to all creation. Whoever believes & is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; & when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people; & they will get well."
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven & He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out & preached everywhere, & the Lord worked with them & confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.
And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, & Salome brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb & they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, & they were alarmed.
"Don’t be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples & Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’" Trembling & bewildered, the women went out & fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. She went & told those who had been with Him & who were mourning & weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive & that she had seen Him, they did not believe it.
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned & reported it to the rest’ but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for the lack of faith & their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
He said to them, "Go into all the world & preach the Good News to all creation. Whoever believes & is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; & when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people; & they will get well."
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven & He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out & preached everywhere, & the Lord worked with them & confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
The Legend of Dismas--the penitent thief
"Legend calls the penitent thief Dismas, and tells that he did not meet Jesus for the first time when they both hung on their crosses on Calvary. The story runs like this. When Joseph and Mary were on their way to Egypt, they were waylaid by robbers. One of the robber chiefs wished to murder them at once and to steal their little store of goods. But something about the baby Jesus went straight to Dismas' heart, for Dismas was one of these robbers. He refused to allow any harm to come to Jesus or his parents. He looked that Jesus and said, 'Most blessed of children, if ever there come a time for having mercy on me, then remember me, and forget not this hour.' So, the legend says, Jesus and Dismas met again at Calvary, and Dismas on the cross found forgiveness and mercy for his soul." (William Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 1, p. 25-26).
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